Upgrades without context, which is often how they are applied. is not necessarily the right thing to do. And many buyers will respond to it because they are attracted to shiny new objects. A house I made an offer in in 2011 recently came on the market. One of the previous owners had owned it from 1810 until the 1920s. One from 1931 until 2011. Unchanged floorplan, many original details, changes that were made tread lightly on the original house. Yes, the bathroom and kitchen which had been added on to the original house at the back were awkward. But the most recent owners essentially gutted it, and aside from some original floors and a mantlepiece, it is chock full of 5 inch crown molding, chair rail, marble in the bathrooms, and all sorts of things it never ever had. Ruined, completely ruined. It could have been much worse, yes. Buyers will love it because it looks just like Houzz and Pinterest inside.

Jmint, I have not used this product, but I have used other wood fillers. It's a lot of work. the poor reviews are probably because they didn't take the time to use it correctly. I happen to like the grain. However, if you use 2-3 coats of primer, (you must sand between each coat and clean well) you will lose most of the grain-look. I like the spray can of Zinsser Oil base primer. You could brush it too, but because it's so thick, I find it easier to spray, and then sand w/a 220 to knock down any high spots or rough patches. Your cabs look like they still have a heavy clear coat on them. you will have to sand, use a deglosser and the primer to make sure you get nice adhesion. Another option you could do would be to get new doors (without the arch). You can buy unfinished doors/drawer fronts, in the oak. Painting the unfinished new ones would be a lot less work. all you'd need to do is a quick fine sand, prime, sand, and paint. a few less steps then what you have on there now. Plus, if you get the new style doors, it will look updated more than the arched style you have. You could also check craigslist. People often sell oak doors and drawers. you may luck out and find your size. don't forget to scrape the ceiling while you're at it. if you want to keep the wood cabs, then at least change the counters/backsplash. Look into a pre-fab quartz countertop and a simple tile backsplash. that will appeal to more people than what you currently have. same cabs. they added trim work to the end panels and the island, and added boxes to cover the gap to the ceiling. new granite/tile splash heck,,just going from this, to this, makes a huge difference. No way the oak looked better in the before shot

I would see about adding some glass door cabinets above the ones you have, I think art that mimics looking out a window to some place you love would be best above the sink. I agree a counter depth fridge and no to the panels on either side fridges need air all around them unless made to be built in. The rest keep as is for now and down the road if the soace functions well then you can always paint the cabinets and remove that small strip of backsplash you have and replace with tile.Yes to some nice knobs or pulls but for use to advise that we need to know a bit more about your style.

I will let others address the hood issue, but if you want a higher-end (or higher-end looking) Kitchen, consider these other ideas: If your refrigerator is not a true built-in refrigerator, then build in the refrigerator to make it appear built-in by surrounding it by 3/4" end panels finished to match your cabinetry and deep enough to cover the sides of the refrigerator (not the doors). Then install a full-depth cabinet above the refrigerator and b/w the end panels, pulling the cabinet so its front is flush with the fronts of the end panels and the refrigerator box. The hood should be 6" wider than the range. So, a 36" range should have a 42"W hood that's also 24" deep. The island should be at least 41.5" deep and have a 15" clear seating overhang: ----> 1.5" counter overhang in front + 24"D cabinets + 1" decorative door/end panel on the backs of the cabinets + 15" seating overhang (clear leg/knee space) = 41.5" Aisles should be at least 42" with 48" even better. Note that aisles are measured to/from the items that stick out into the aisle the farthest -- counter overhangs, appliance handles, etc. They are not measured cabinet-to-cabinet as that measurement only includes the cabinet box, not the doors/drawer fronts, hardware, or counter overhang. If you can fit it, put a sink in the island so it can be used as a Prep Zone. I second the idea for the MW drawer; it is much more useable than a standard MW installed in an under-counter alcove.